San Francisco Mint 5.75oz Silver Assay Bar, circa 1950s? Premium?
BustHalfBrian
Posts: 4,192 ✭✭✭✭
Walked in the shop today. Antique bars/ingots is not my area of expertise. I did some (very little) research, and found that the bar was probably produced in the 1950s, although I'm not sure how accurate the information is through the source I used.
Just curious what kind of premium it might carry (if any)...
Any and all input is greatly appreciated.
PS: Didn't know which subforum to start this thread in. Just chose this one because this technically was produced at the San Fran Mint like coinage of the US.
Just curious what kind of premium it might carry (if any)...
Any and all input is greatly appreciated.
PS: Didn't know which subforum to start this thread in. Just chose this one because this technically was produced at the San Fran Mint like coinage of the US.
Lurking and learning since 2010. Full-time professional numismatist based in SoCal.
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Comments
bob
<< <i>Currently up on Ebay
bob
Wow. I sold that bar to a member here. I did get a premium for it, but not even close to that insane premium.
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<< <i>
<< <i>Currently up on Ebay
bob
Wow. I sold that bar to a member here. I did get a premium for it, but not even close to that insane premium.
>>
It's not worth as much as that guy is asking.... if my memory serves me right, one like yours and the OP's is in the $800-$1200 range.
<< <i>It's not worth as much as that guy is asking.... >>
i would like to hear how you arrive to this, if you are willing.
i've seen certain silver bars go for over 1k an oz, they were different than these but am curious whom dictates whether a bar is worth 1x bullion oz to Xx bullion oz, at least enough to say whether one is worth xx or not. just askin'
unless you saying
<< <i>if my memory serves me right, one like yours and the OP's is in the $800-$1200 range. >>
means your opinion is based on sales results, in which case my inquiry is moot.
.
However, they were generally only intended to be a convenient means of shipping gold, so the bars normally only existed for as long as it took them to be shipped to where they could be turned into something more useful, like Philadelphia double eagles, French 20 Franc pieces or English sovereigns.
A few bars did survive, but by far the largest extant population of surviving bars is from the SS Central America. I don't know if any of those bars were from the SF Mint or if they were all from private assayers.
Check out the Southern Gold Society
<< <i>Aren't these highly counterfeited? I believe in 2011 one of the larger auction houses had a few pulled from the auction due to them not being genuine. >>
Yes. I've read in several places that these have been widely faked. Considering the premium they sell for over melt and how they are crudely manufactured, I'm certainly not surprised.
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
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<< <i>Aren't these highly counterfeited? I believe in 2011 one of the larger auction houses had a few pulled from the auction due to them not being genuine. >>
From what I gathered, the owner of the bar (a regular of ours) had held onto this piece for nearly a decade because it intrigued him that the ingot was stamped with a San Fran Mint emblem.
I'm pretty confident the piece is genuine. But just to be certain, I'd like to know if there are any diagnostics for authenticating such a bar.....................
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>
<< <i>Aren't these highly counterfeited? I believe in 2011 one of the larger auction houses had a few pulled from the auction due to them not being genuine. >>
From what I gathered, the owner of the bar (a regular of ours) had held onto this piece for nearly a decade because it intrigued him that the ingot was stamped with a San Fran Mint emblem.
I'm pretty confident the piece is genuine. But just to be certain, I'd like to know if there are any diagnostics for authenticating such a bar..................... >>
People have been counterfeiting items for longer than a decade...
However, they were generally only intended to be a convenient means of shipping gold, so the bars normally only existed for as long as it took them to be shipped to where they could be turned into something more useful, like Philadelphia double eagles, French 20 Franc pieces or English sovereigns.
New York Assay Office gold bars are reasonably available. My understanding is that these were sold to licensed jewelers, who were allowed to work in gold even during the ban. I've seen bars dated as early as 1933, I think. Also much later ones. Premiums on these are not especially high. Figure 10-50% over melt, very roughly.
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